kennycrudup

If I've brought my big bag, I'd prefer not to lug it along for a quick trip to the bathroom. I'm sorry y'all, I'm just not that worried about it, and in decades of flying nobody's refused me either.

... and the "literal announcements" are to avoid another Lockerbie or "Brokedown Palace", but I'm most def coming back for my shiz.

ursine1

FYI, if you ask me, I'm looking at you like you're a crazy person (duh) and politely replying, "no."

You need to go somewhere? Take your bag with you. How hard is that? Who do you think you are?

I'm not bag check.

I don't know you.

There are legitimate, obvious reasons why you shouldn't ever do this.

Seriously.
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WT actual F?

synergistic

I've many times left my bag in a lounge unattended. Has never even crossed my mind to attempt the same at the gate. Besides initial bewilderment I'm not sure how I'd respond if asked - I'd likely stutter my way through apologizing (I avoid confrontation) and say I was about to head in that direction myself.

ethernal

I just leave my bag unattended. More than anything as a way to block off a good seat at the gate.

There is no logical reason to be afraid of an unattended bag at an airport - especially after security. Airports are relatively hard targets. If you're going to blow something up via unattended luggage then you'll do it somewhere else.

Not sure what the obvious, legitimate reasons there are to decline someone's request other than as an indulgence to your paranoia (although like I said I don't bother to ask because that's pointless too).

kennycrudup

It's pretty obvious the issue among the FT set isn't "security", but "selfishness". You'd think I was panhandling or something based on some of y'all's replies.

lougord99

And if an agent sees your bag, the cops will be called and you will be answering some questions.

Whether there is a logical reason or not to be afraid of an unattended bag, the rules inside the airport are that you must have control of your bags at all times. The cops do not look lightly upon people who break those rules.

Often1

I have recently seen two separate incidents, one at an AA and one at a UA gate (but the issue has nothing to do with the air carrier) in which someone has strolled up to the podium and left a bag behind at his seat. These two incidents stand out because other passengers flagged down a passing police officer in one case and non-LEO security in another. In both incidents, the individual was lectured and, in the case of the LEO, what looked like an ID and boarding pass were produced and called in by the officer.

The point here is that these were actions by other passengers.

kennycrudup

Decades.

FT is a bubble.

Proudelitist

He was pretty clueless actually. Total kettle. He was asking about boarding order and if this was the right gate for the flight...despite the big lit up screen that said where the plane was going. I am sure he meant no harm. But still. I am not watching a strangers bags.

Proudelitist

What about simple, basic petty theft?

ethernal

I wouldn't answer any questions other than affirmatively declare it is my bag. There is no law against leaving bags unattended.

Airports have rules about unattended baggage, but they are just that.. rules about how they handle things on private (well, semi-public) property. At worst, they'll confiscate your bag and either destroy it (rarely and only if the bomb squad is board and wants to train some new guys) or you'll have to go pick it up from somewhere. That's only if you're gone and ignore the messages over the intercom for 20 minutes asking about who's bag it is. We haven't (quite) gotten to the point in society where an unattended bag is sufficient to land a "terrorististic threat" charge/arrest.

Out of all of the places one is likely to experience a grab and run, an airport is the least likely. Everyone at the airport is identified and video taped. Ironically I'd have been less likely to leave a bag unattended pre-9/11 given the fact that airport terminals/concourses were much more accessible then.

Either way, this probably isn't the best thread/forum to have this discussion.. so I'll leave this discussion for others to close out...

Proudelitist

This assumes taking the whole bag. What about just going through the pockets or taking items out? CCTV may help after the fact if you report it and they really do an investigation of some minor petty theft which they may not..but honestly, for small motion acts involving hands and pockets, CCTV is not very effective, and rarely conclusive enough to prosecute. I know, I work in the Security field.

You leave your stuff with a stranger, you take a risk. It's not a difficult equation. Petty theft does take place in airports and on planes. All the time. It's the height of naivety to trust a random stranger with your possessions, and the height of foolhardiness to do it because you can't be arsed to take your bags with you to the toilet.

Cledaybuck

Maybe Southwest should start charging to have someone watch your bag while you go to the resteroom.

toomanybooks

Free for A-List.